1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oven cleaner and, more particularly, to a composition for applying to the clean walls of an oven, the composition thereafter being operable for facilitating the removal of residue subsequently deposited on the oven wall.
2. Prior Art
It is well known that after extended periods of use, carbonized residue accumulates on the wall of kitchen ovens. To remove the residue, several approaches have been developed; two of which methods are widely used. In the first method, disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,788 to Lancz, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,016 to Hamilton et al., a coating comprising harsh chemicals is applied to the outer surface of the residue. After a period of time that varies with the composition used, the residue is at least partially released from the oven wall and may be removed with scrubbing. This method exposes the user to harsh chemicals and fumes and requires considerable effort to remove the treated residue.
In a second method, employed in xe2x80x9cself-cleaningxe2x80x9d ovens, the residue is essentially incinerated in situ and the gaseous product is vented to the outdoors.
This method, although generally regarded as an improvement over the first method described above, requires a more costly oven and further requires that the oven be inoperable for cooking during the cleaning cycle.
In a third method, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,030 to Heckert et al., the inventors teach that a detergent composition containing an anionic detergent and an organosilane is capable of imparting soil release benefits to hard surfaces washed therewith. When a very thin layer of a compound possessing soil release benefits is applied to metallic and vitreous surfaces by a detergent composition, a thin semi-permanent coating of a compound is laid down. The amount of coating is sufficient to provide a soil release benefit to the surface, while at the same time, is neither visible nor expensive. The Heckert et al. coating comprises detergent compositions containing an anionic detergent and an organosilane which is able to provide soil release benefits to metallic and vitreous surfaces when applied thereto from a wash or rinse solution. The detergent compositions of Heckert et al. contain an organosilane and a water-soluble anionic detergent in a ratio of organosilane to anionic detergent of from 1:1 to 1:10,000, preferably 1:1 to 1:500, most preferably 1:3 to 1:60. Most detergents, however, produce objectionable odors when heated that may affect the taste of food cooked in the oven. Accordingly, there remains a need for a composition that may be used to coat the surface of an oven, thereafter to serve as a release for residue deposited thereon, which is stable, nontoxic and odorless.
It is an object of the invention to provide a composition for coating the clean, interior surface of an oven, the coating thus applied thereafter providing a releasing film from which residues deposited thereon, together with the releasing film, may be easily removed.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a composition meeting the above objective that is nontoxic and thermally stable.
The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. However the invention itself, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.